Mesa Verde, Spanish for green table, offers a spectacular look into the lives of the Ancestral Pueblo people who made it their home for over 700 years, from AD 600 to 1300. Today the park protects nearly 5,000 known archeological sites, including 600 cliff dwellings. These sites are some of the most notable and best preserved in the United States.
On June 29, 1906, President Theodore Roosevelt established Mesa Verde National Park to "preserve the works of man," the first national park of its kind. Today, the continued preservation of both cultural and natural resources is the focus of the park's research and resource management staff.
Want to know more? Try this link.
a webcam at Mesa Verde - webcam
It may be warm and very dry here, but there's still snow on the mountains.
While at Mesa Verde, visit on of the guided ranger tours! This one is the Balcony House. It takes about an hour and has some interesting challenges!
I did it!
This is a kiva - largely a ceremonial room and meeting place. Normally it would have been covered by timbers and packed earth! We went down in one at Spruce house.
It's not enough I've got to climb a 30' ladder?
I made it!
Another ladder? You didn't say anything about a second ladder!
The climb that will live in infamy! Just don't look down and you'll never know it's 800 feet to the bottom of the canyon!
The view back on top!
After we finished at Balcony House, we went to Spruce House - where we were able to wander around on our own and go down in a kiva.
Down we go!
The average temperature in the kiva is about 50 degrees year-round. The girls said it's cool in here, but is smells like dirty socks!
What goes in, must come out!
I've heard of a forked tongue, but a forked tail?!?
The girls earned their Junior Ranger Badge while here and part of their "swearing in" included "cleaning their rooms and eating their vegetables"! We'll see how that goes.
Tomorrow - Four Corners and beyond!
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